Stolen copper wire fetches tidy sum

April 29, 2012

A San Diego man is facing felony changes for purchasing copper wire at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores with counterfeit barcodes and then reselling it to recycling centers for a hefty profit, according to an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Steven Koski was arraigned in San Diego Superior Court on April 27 after Lowe’s alerted authorities that surveillance video allegedly showed Koski entering home-improvement stores in the county and replacing legitimate barcodes with fake barcodes. An investigation ensued, and prosecutors claim that the 42-year-old suspect purchased copper wire for $60 to $90 and then resold it at California recycling centers for $200 to $300. He was charged with 11 felony counts and bail was set at $250,000.

California is one of the top five states with the highest reported incidence of copper theft, according to the article.